Maybe I am a masochist after all

Despite the excellent season of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and the new fun show Medium, NBC finished fourth of the big four networks in ratings this year. Their decidedly fourth place summer line-up is kicking off e'en as I type with Hit Me Baby One More Time. It's sort of like American Idol, accept the artists have already had their time in the sun. Five acts you haven't heard from in quite a while--Loverboy, CeCe Peniston, Flock of Seagulls (who had the gall to perform "I Ran" wearing a hat! A hat? C'mon, your hairstyle named a character in Pulp Fiction, you have to show it.), Arrested Development, and Tiffany--perform their hit and then cover something ClearChannel would like, and then the audience votes on who's best. It would be cool if they could guarentee the artist a return to fame and fortune, but the winner just gets a donation to their favorite charity from Ameriquest. Wow, are things that bad at Ameriquest.

Later this summer, watch out for I Want To Be a Hilton, in which Paris and Nicole's mother runs sort of an anti-Simple Life in a knock-off-one-a-week competition. Plus, there's another exciting season of Average Joe. The third knock-off-one-a-week show The Law Firm, produced by David E. Kelley, has a dozen lawyers competing in lawyering contests. There's also the head-to-head competition show Meet Mister Mom where we find out what happens when mom goes to a luxury spa, and dad has to take care of the kids. Come August 16, one may have to question the admission standards of the University of Nebraska after Tommy Lee Goes to College. Arg.

In another FOXian move, NBC has cancelled Law & Order: Trial By Jury after half a season.